Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Eschatology of the Postmodern Movements

The soteriology (doctrine of salvation) of the Postmodern Movements is man-centered and not God-centered, and is at its root either Pelagianism or semi-Pelagianism, denying the fallenness of man or affirming that man has fallen but not completely. In essence, both Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism, claim that man isn't really all that bad and he just needs a little help. But that isn't what the Bible teaches on the subject! The Bible teaches that man is "dead in trespasses and sin", "there is none good, not even one", and "no one can come to Me unless it is granted to Him by My Father." So in the foundational doctrine of salvation the Postmodern Movements depart from the Word of God which is the first symptom of apostasy.

What people believe about soteriology will affect their ecclesiology (doctrine of the church). In their attempt to "give man who isn't really all that bad the help that he needs," the Postmodern Movements of our day highjack God's design for the church and defile themselves with the world which is the logical and second symptom of apostasy. These apostate movements have no idea what God's design for the church really is! But do we really expect them to understand ecclesiology when they don't understand soteriology? Having departed from God's Word in soteriology they have departed from God's Word in ecclesiology and are defiling themselves with the world.

Not only does what people believe about soteriology affect what they believe about ecclesiology, it also affects what they believe about eschatology (doctrine of end-times). This is how it works with these Postmodern Movements: (1) believing that man isn't really all that bad and just needs a little help, (2) they hijack God's design for the church and turn it into a "gathering place for man who isn't really all that bad but just needs a little help, therefore defiling themselves with the world as they use "man-centered" approaches to get them to come, and (3) using these worldly methods to meet the needs of men is a form of "utilitarian religion" (uses God for selfish and sinful reasons) and appeals to the flesh. These worldy methods will work to "bring men in" and this is why the Postmodern Movements believe that they are working toward a world-wide revival!

But again, the Bible doesn't teach a coming world-wide revival before the Lord returns. On the contrary! The Bible actually teaches a coming world-wide delusion disguised as a revival before the Lord returns "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him...Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first..." (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 3). The apostasy that must come first is the coming counterfeit revival that is a result of apostates deceiving themselves with their works which is the third symptom of apostasy!

This is also what the Lord Jesus taught in His parable of the tares of the field. He taught a coming counterfeit revival (apostasy) that would precede our gathering together to Him - "And in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, 'First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up, but gather the wheat into my barn'" (Matthew 13:30).

Notice that the tares (counterfeit Christians) are gathered up first in bundles - this speaks of the counterfeit revival that comes first before the wheat (true Christians) are gathered to Jesus. This counterfeit revival will serve a two-fold purpose: (1) it will separate the tares from the wheat, and (2) it is the judgment of God on pragmatic, philosophic, and humanistic rejecters of the truth of God - "Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12).

The soteriology of the Postmodern Movements is wrong; the ecclesiology of the Postmodern Movements is wrong; and the eschatology of the Postmodern Movements is wrong! They depart from the Word of God, defile themselves with the world, and deceive themselves and others with their works. They are apostates ushering in The Apostasy! Let no one in any way deceive you!

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